In this edition of the Situation Report, we cover a new lawsuit over halted AHRQ research funding, major leadership changes at CDC, the termination of an NIH program supporting minority researchers, and uneven restoration of CDC funding across states. AcademyHealth remains committed to promoting transparency, equity, and evidence-based policymaking. Read on to understand these critical issues and learn how you can support efforts to strengthen the nation’s health research and public health systems.
In today’s issue:
- CDC Director Ousted, Other Top Officials Resign
- SGIM and NAPCRG File Lawsuit to Restore AHRQ Grantmaking
- FDA Ends COVID Emergency Use, HHS Considers School Vaccine Mandates
- Analysis Reveals Uneven CDC Funding Restorations Across States
- HHS Ends NIH Program Supporting Minority Biomedical Researchers
After just one month in her role, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Susan Monarez, has been ousted. The Trump administration confirmed her departure without explanation on Wednesday, but two lawyers representing Monarez defended that she had not yet resigned or been fired. Late Wednesday, a spokesperson for the White House said in a statement that she had been terminated as she had refused to resign “despite informing HHS leadership of her intent to do so.”
Shortly after Monarez’ termination, at least three other top CDC officials resigned, including the director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases Demetre Daskalakis. In his resignation letter, Daskalakis pointed to philosophical differences between Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that he said prevented him from fulfilling his role and serving the public. Additionally, he indicated that, despite his requests, he never received the data analyses that supported the recent immunization schedule changes for children and pregnant people. Moreover, he noted that the “frequently asked questions” document that accompanied the policy change was created devoid of input from CDC subject matter experts and cited studies that were incongruent with the authors’ conclusions.
This week’s terminations and resignations are symptoms of a larger and growing system issue in which policy is increasingly uninformed by evidence and transparency and communication lack among top health officials. The public health field, and health field more broadly, suffer as a result, as do the people these systems are meant to protect. The field must continue to uphold scientific standards at every opportunity possible and insist on an open dialogue among researchers, policymakers, and leaders.
SGIM and NAPCRG File Lawsuit to Restore AHRQ Grantmaking
The Society for General Internal Medicine (SGIM) and the North American Primary Care Research Group (NAPCRG) have filed suit against HHS to challenge the halt of all research grantmaking at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Since April 1, AHRQ has not approved a single new grant or supported ongoing projects, spending less than half of last year’s budget. This collapse threatens evidence-based innovations that improve care, reduce costs, and save lives. AcademyHealth, as host of the Friends of AHRQ, has worked closely with SGIM and NAPCRG throughout this process, advocating for the agency’s critical role and engaging the research community. Read more about what's at stake on our blog.
FDA Narrows Covid Vaccine Eligibility, HHS Considers School Vaccine Mandates
On Wednesday, the FDA approved updated Covid booster vaccines but simultaneously revoked the emergency use authorizations for these vaccines. These shots are approved for adults over the age of 65 as well as kids and adults with at least one medical condition putting them at risk of experiencing severe Covid illness. Specifically, the Moderna vaccine is approved for those older than 6 months, Pfizer/BioNTech for those older than 5 years, and Novavax for those older than 12. Notably, this policy move raises questions about vaccine accessibility for young children since the Moderna vaccine is restricted to those only with serious health conditions, leaving healthy children under 5 without a viable vaccine option. The president of the American Academy of Pediatrics described the decision as “deeply troubling”, especially since respiratory illnesses can be risky for young children whose airways and lungs are still developing.
In parallel, Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, has endorsed efforts to expand religious exemptions to school vaccine mandates. Specifically, HHS has backed the West Virginia’s governor who has been strongly advocating for parents to be able to invoke religious beliefs to decline shots for their children and sent a letter to state official warning the state may be violating civil rights laws. This move aligns with a growing national sentiment against vaccines. Experts view this scenario as HHS is exploring the extent of its influence over state decisions regarding school entry vaccine mandates. Several leading medical organizations have warned against non-medical exemptions because it endangers those who cannot be vaccinated due to medical reasons.
Analysis Reveals Uneven CDC Funding Restorations Across States
A new KFF analysis reveals that states experienced uneven restoration of CDC grant funding following clawbacks earlier this year. Initially, halted grants impacted states across the board. However, states and localities that pursued court action—primarily through legal challenges—largely regained their funding, while others did not. In fact, the analysis found that nearly 80% of grants cut in states that sued were restored, compared with fewer than 5 percent in states that did not take legal action. Awarded during the COVID-19 pandemic, these grants supported broad public health infrastructure and capacity—not solely pandemic response.
HHS Ends NIH Program Supporting Minority Biomedical Researchers
The department of Health and Human services (HHS) is terminating the Minority Biomedical Research Support Program, previously funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which provided grants to compensate underrepresented student researchers and partially covered tuition and healthcare costs for graduate students. According to experts, the termination of the program could eliminate opportunities for scientific careers for an entire generation of students who, without the program, do not have access to research opportunities, which are often unpaid. In doing so, experts argue that Kennedy and HHS will exacerbate already existing disparities in the distribution of NIH grants as underrepresented researchers are already less likely to receive NIH funding.
Indeed, research indicates that the majority of NIH funding —and HSR funding in general — has historically been awarded to white male PIs, who often have greater access to career-building opportunities than their peers. Studies also suggest that part of this disparity reflects research topics NIH has traditionally funded, with less support for areas such as structural racism. Experts caution that a lack of diversity among researchers can affect study design, participation, and the quality of research findings, with implications for health care delivery. These concerns have intensified the Supreme Court's decision upholding the termination of more than $780 million NIH grants related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
Previous Updates
This is the latest in a series of Situation Report updates from AcademyHealth. You can find prior issues here.
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